ND stint special for Shoults

Paul Shoults is "home'' again, sort of. No, not Washington Courthouse, Ohio, where he spent his formative years before heading off to Miami University some 60 years ago. Since then, he played pro football for a year in New York and spent 27 years coaching and then 15 years in athletic administration at Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti. The coaching years -- one at Fairfield High in Dayton, five at his Miami alma mater, eight at Northwestern and 13 at Notre Dame (11 with his old Miami teammate and friend Ara Parseghian, and two under Dan Devine) -- were the good and fun years for Shoults. And he has a memory for the top years and top players for the Irish. Paul lost his wife, Martha, a few years ago and he was persuaded to come "home'' to South Bend to be close to his family. He lives at the Tanglewood Trace independent living center a couple of miles from where he plied his defensive backfield trade at Notre Dame. "Those were good years.'' Paul reminisced. "Some great players and teams under Ara.'' Fittingly, Paul remembered such All-Americans as Nick Rassas, Tom Schoen and Mike Townsend. (He coached four others -- Tony Carey, Jim Smithberger, Clarence Ellis and Luther Bradley -- who attained that honor.) In each player, he was more impressed that they were "good people'' as well as talented. For years Notre Dame fans have groused about pass defense, and there were some complaints in Paul's day, too. "We tried to get players who had speed, quickness and good football sense,'' he said. "But best of all, we tried to get good people.'' In the first few years, Notre Dame played a 4-4-3 (four down linemen, four linebackers and three defensive backs.). Then later, the defense evolved to a now-more-familiar two cornerbacks and two safeties. But Shoults (and Ara) also had a few variations of the basic scheme, just as they did on offense with a standard split-T and then a wingback formation. Those defenses were so good that the Irish more often than not were in the top 10 nationally on defense. It was that way from the start when the 1964 team opened the season by holding Wisconsin to minus-55 yards rushing. Paul remembered that first game in Madison in what was to become the "Era of Ara.'' "At Northwestern, we had played Wisconsin and had some tough losses, particularly late in the season when we were worn down. This time, we got them early and we were prepared. It was a great start.'' Paul had known but hadn't stop to realize that Jack Snow and Bill Wolski, two stars of that game and season, had died this year. "They were great ones, too,'' he said. One of the first-year players he remembered well was Jim Lynch, a rookie linebacker in 1964 and then captain of the great national championship team in 1966. "He could really play. He had speed, size and was tough and he proved it with the pros in Kansas City.'' said Shoults "And he was another great person.'' He also remembers fondly the other members of the coaching staff -- John Ray with the linebackers, Joe Yonto with the defensive line, Tom Pagna with the backfield, Doc Urich with the offensive line, George Sefcik with receivers, and Dave Hurd with centers. Speed and quickness make for great defense. "And when Notre Dame gets more of that type of player, the good seasons will come," said Shoults. "You can never have enough of that type of player," In retirement, Paul doesn't see too many of his long-ago friends. He is still active, walks when he can and plays golf occasionally, just what you would expect from an 81-year-old with a lifetime of memories.To reach Joe Doyle: Doyleinc@sbcglobal.net